Gene Shue's journey in the world of basketball took off at the University of Maryland, where he showcased his skills as an All-ACC Selection. As a talented and innovative guard, Shue was chosen as the third overall pick by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1954. However, a brief stint in Philadelphia ensued after a dispute over his first paycheck, leading to his trade to New York. Shue's fortunes turned when he was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons, providing him with the opportunity to become a key starter and a standout player.

Following the relocation of the franchise to Detroit, Shue experienced the peak of his playing career. He achieved an impressive five consecutive All-Star selections from 1958 to 1962, and notably received All-NBA honors in 1959-60 and 1960-61. During these standout seasons, Shue maintained an impressive average of over 20 points per game and secured seventh and tenth place in the MVP voting, respectively.

After this remarkable phase, Shue continued to play for two more years, one with New York and the other with Baltimore. His association with the Baltimore team extended beyond his playing career, as he later took on the role of coach and achieved the remarkable feat of winning two Coach of the Year Awards.

A member of the Cleveland Browns for the duration of his career, Gary Collins was the 4^th Overall pick in 1962, and as a rookie, the Wide Receiver wasn't targeted that much but was used as the team's Punter, a role he would have for six seasons.  In his sophomore season, he was integrated into the Browns offense, and he would finish atop the leaderboard in Touchdown Receptions with 13.  After helping the Browns capture the NFL Championship in 1964, Collins would have a two Pro Bowl streak with trips to the game in 1965 and 1966.  In both of those years, he had at least 880 Yards and 10 TDs.

The hard-luck Cincinnati Bengals have yet to win a Super Bowl, but it was Boomer Esiason who brought them closer than anyone else had when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers on a last-minute drive in Super Bowl XXIII.  Fortunately for Esiason, his career did not need a Super Bowl Ring to be considered great.

Replacing the productive Ken Anderson, the powerful southpaw became one of the premier Quarterbacks in the league.  During his time in Cincinnati, Esiason was a consistent producer and he turned the Bengals into a high powered attack.  Mastering the play-action pass, Boomer used his strength and speed and was always producing high yardage games.

Buck Williams is considered one of the best power forwards of all time. He was a hardworking player who excelled in rebounding and defense, and was also a solid low post scorer. Although he was not as flashy as some of his contemporaries, Williams had a long and successful career, playing in the tenth most games of all time and being one of only seven players to have scored over 16,000 points and grabbed over 13,000 rebounds. Despite never playing on a championship team, Williams was a vital part of some very successful teams and always played the game with the right attitude. 

Williams has yet to be inducted, but he feels due.

Despite having the nickname of “Stevie Franchise”, Steve Francis never led his team in College or the Pros to a Championship. It was not that he wasn’t good, as the Point Guard was a three time All-Star who put up decent statistics through his tenure, but he was more known for showcasing his athletics dunks and speed, than his overall game. He was a good scorer, but a little too turnover prone and for a Point Guard, did not always have high assists numbers. Still, he deserves better than to be known as a bad contact in New York, as this man was a former NBA Rookie of the Year.